Producer-Director Walter Dominguez recently visited one of Los Angeles’ important historic theaters, the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse, and recorded this video mini-tour. Located in the LA suburb of San Gabriel (the first European settlement in the region, established in 1771), the beautiful neo-colonial Mission-Style theater was built in the 1920s to showcase the spectacular production of John Steven McGroarty’s pageant-drama, the Mission Play. McGroarty took the then-untold history of the 22 California missions built by the labor of California’s Native Americans under the supervision of Spanish Catholic Franciscan brothers (headed by the indefatigable Father Junipero Serra, who is the main protagonist of the Mission Play), and made it into California’s first theatrical hit. Premiering in April of 1912, with a cast of over three hundred actors, dancers, singers and musicians, the play had the most performances in theatrical history, and was seen by nearly two million people over its decades-long run. A movement is afoot to revive the play here at the theater built to present it.

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Documentaries depend upon generous support to be realized, Whitewashed Adobe: The Rise of Los Angeles is depends on grants and private donations for funding. Help to support this historic and vital documentary project with your tax-deductible donation through our 501(c)(3) non-profit fiscal sponsor, The International Documentary Association (IDA).

Special Thanks

This project is made possible, in part, by a grant from the California Council for the Humanities in partnership with the Skirball Foundation, through the jointly supported California Documentary Project, a program of the California Stories Initiative.

Additional Support

The JKW Foundation

Jean Stein

Shelley Morrison

Greg & Carole Garneau

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This project is based on William Deverell's critically acclaimed book WHITEWASHED ADOBE: THE RISE OF LOS ANGELES AND THE REMAKING OF ITS MEXICAN PAST.